Virginia Theater

A life-sized bronze sculpture of Roger Ebert was unveiled Thursday outside the Virginia Theater in Champaign. The artist who designed the statue of the late movie critic sitting between two empty theater seats says the piece took six months to complete.

When filmgoers attend Roger Ebert’s 16th annual film festival in Champaign next spring, they’ll be able to pose with the famous Urbana native. A fundraiser campaign aims to build a life-size sculpture of Ebert, and unveil it as part of the festival in late April, outside the Virginia Theatre. The bronze tribute to the late Urbana native and longtime Chicago Sun-Times critic places him in the middle of three theater seats, giving the trademark ‘thumbs up.’